Feed water heater



March 3, 1936. E. J. BERGQUIST FEED WATER HEATER Filed Jan. 15, l934 INVENTOR Patented Mar. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- 4 Claims.

This invention relates to feed water heaters for locomotives and its general object is to provide an apparatus for introducing water in sufficient quantities at an extremely high temperature into the locomotive boiler from the main supply tank carried by the tender, in order to materially expedite the formation of steam and to maintain an ample supply thereof at all times.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for feeding heated water into the locomotive boiler, that utilizes the exhaust steam from the cylinder saddle, as well as the injector steam.

A very important object of the invention is to provide a water heating device in the form of a mixing valve for controlling the passage of water from the main supply tank and which receives the exhaust steam to commingle with and heat the water before it reaches the injector where the preheated water is subjected to further heat by the injector steam, and thence the water is still further heater and maintained in a heated condition by the exhaust steam until it reaches the boiler, with the result it is introduced into the latter in a boiling condition.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the character set forth, that is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to apply to a locomotive and is extremely efiicient in operation and service.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a View illustrating the application of my apparatus to a locomotive of the conventional type, and its tender.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken through my valve.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the water receiving and heating means of my valve.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the float.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the steam conduit for the water pipe.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the letter A indicates a locomotive of the conventional type and B the tender thereof. My apparatus is associated with the usual cylinder saddle C and the injector D.

The important part of my apparatus lies in a heating device that is in the form of a mixing valve, as best shown in Figure 2, and this device includes a cylindrical housing I in the form as shown, that is provided with a closed bottom 2 and a cover 3 for the .top, the cover being fixed 5 to the housing in a leak proof manner as shown.

Arranged in the housing I slightly below the upper end or top thereof, is what may be termed a hollow disk member that has formed on its periphery and depending therefrom a flange 4 which is threadedly secured within the housing for supporting the disk member accordingly. The latter includes a pair of superimposed plates 5 that fit the cylindrical wall of the housing and the plates are connected by vertical tubes 6 for a further purpose which will be presently apparent.

The disk member provides a water chamber which registers with an opening I arranged in the wall of the housing, and the wall has formed therewith a receptacle 8 to provide an inlet chamber 9 registering with the opening I as clearly shown in Figure 2. The chamber 9 is in direct communication with the main supply tank of the tender, through the instrumentality of an elbow ID for supplying water to the valve as will be apparent.

Surrounding the housing adjacent to its upper end, but slightly below the disk member is an annular steam conduit II that has communication with the interior of the cylinder through the medium of a plurality of openings I2. The steam conduit has connected thereto a pipe line I3 that includes a vertical looped portion and is provided with a manually control valve I4 as shown in Figure 1. The pipe line I3 is connected with a steam conduit I5 that is relatively large in diameter and which is in communication with the cylinder saddle C.

The housing is in communication with the injector D through the instrumentality of a pipe 4.0 line I6 which extends fromthe bottom of the housing and both the pipe lines I3 and I6 have flexible means I! in their length, due to the fact that the heating device is carried by the tender and these pipe lines run to elements carried by the locomotive.

The disk member has centrally arranged therein a conical bore I8 which acts as a valve seat for a conical projection or valve member I9 that is formed with and rises centrally from a float 20, the latter being disposed within the housing and has depending therefrom a stem 2 I, which is guided in a central bore of a spider 22. The spider 22 is supported in the housing by lugs 23 as clearly shown in Figure 2. ,55

The injector D is in communication with the steam chamber of the boiler of the locomotive, through the medium of a pipe line 24 that has the usual control valve therein as shown, and the injector is likewise in communication with the boiler through the instrumentality of a pipe line 25 that extends through the steam conduit I 5 for the major portion of its length and has a check valve 2 6 secured to its end that terminates into the boiler.

From the above description and disclosure of the drawing, it will be obvious that as the heating device is secured below the main supply tank, the water will flow thereto, through the elbow I0, the chamber 9, and opening I, by the action of gravity, while steam will enter the housing I from the cylinder saddle through the pipe line I3, steam conduit II and opening I2. The water enters the disk member through the opening 1 and thence passes outwardly and upwardly therefrom through the medium of the open spaces 21 within the bore l8, for disposal above the disk memher, and thence the water flows downwardly through the tubes 6. When the water passes from the tubes 6, it enters the housing below the disk member in a shower like manner to commingle with steam in the space between the float and disk member. Consequently, the water is heated by the steam which enters the housing through the opening l2.

The flow of water from the disk member is controlled by the projection or valve member 19 which is shaped to have a loose fit with the bore l8, and as the valve member I9 is carried by the float 20, a, suflicient quantity of heated water is maintained in the housing I at all times and in accordance with the operation of the injector D.

Some of the water from the open spaces 21 will pass downwardly between the valve member l9 and the bore 7 IE, but water will also pass through the path of steam from the openings 12, therefor all the water from the disk member will be subjected to the steam in a uniform man-,

ner.

The heated water from the housing I is conveyed to the injector D by the pipe line l6, where it is further heated and thence passed to the boiler by the pipe 25, the latter having its major portion arranged within the steam conduit Hi, therefore the water will reach the boiler in a boiling condition, which is especially necessary to expedite the formation of steam and to maintain an ample supply in the boiler when the locomo-,

tive is in operating condition.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of my invention will be readily apparent.

I desire it to be understood that I may make changes in the construction and in the comb-ination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a feed water heating apparatus for a boiler, means for receiving water from a supply and including a housing, a hollow disk member in said housing to receive the water from the supply, outlet means for said disk member, means for controlling the passage of Water from the outlet means of the hollow disk member, tubes extending through the hollow disk member to receive water from the outlet means for passage therethrough, and means for introducing steam into the housing below the tubes to heat water therefrom.

2. In a feed water heating apparatus for a boiler of a locomotive, means for receiving water from the main supply tank of the locomotive tender and including a housing, a disk member in said housing to receive the water from the supply, outlet means for said disk member, a float valve in said housing for controlling the passage of water from the outlet means, tubes extending through the disk member to receive water from the outlet means for passage therethrough, and means for supplying steam to the housing below the tubes to heat the water from the disk member.

3. In a feed water heating apparatus for a boiler of a locomotive, a housing for receiving water from the main supply tank of the locomotive tender, a hollow disk member arranged in the housing to receive the water from the supply, outlet, means for the disk member and being in the form of a Valve seat, tubes extending through the disk member to receive water from the outlet -means for passage therethrough, a float controlled valve for said seat for controlling the outlet means, a steam conduit surrounding the housing and being in communication therewith for supplying steam below the disk member to heat the water from the latter, and means for conveying steam to the steam conduit. I

4. In a feed water heating apparatus for the boiler of a locomotive, a housing in communica-' tion with the main supply tank in the tender of the locomotive to receive water therefrom, a hollow disk member arranged in the housing adjacent the upper portion thereof to receive the water before being disposed within the housing, said disk member having a bore centrally arranged therethrough to provide water outlet means therefor and a valve seat respectively, tubes extending through the disk member to receive water from the outlet means for passage therethrough, a float valve receivable in the seat for controlling the outlet means, a steam conduit surrounding the housing and being in communication therewith for supplying steam below the tubes to heat the water from the latter and the disk member, and means for conveying steam to the steam conduit.

ERNEST J. BERGQUIST. 

